The aim of thisresearch was to evaluate the effect of microbial additives containing heterofermentativeor homofermentative bacteria on the chemical and microbiological characteristicsof sugar cane (Saccharum spp) silages. Sugar cane was inoculated withLactobacillus plantarum, L. paracasei, L. brevis or L.buchneri previously isolated from sugar cane silages or commercial inoculantscontaining L. buchneri or L. plantarum. Silages were producedin laboratory silos (10 × 60 cm PVC tubes) and evaluated 90 days afterensiling. A randomized complete design was used with eight treatments (seveninoculants and control - without inoculant) and three replications. The inoculationwith bacteria affected lactic acid bacteria, yeast populations, volatile fattyacids and ethanol contents in the silages. Inoculation with different strainsof the same species of bacteria result in silages with different chemical andmicrobiological characteristics. Two of the L. buchneri strains showthe best results in relation to silage quality.
